Sarasota chimp and lion have roles in 'Wolf of Wall Street'

Moviegoers watching the new Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Wolf of Wall Street” will see two locals among the cast: a chimpanzee and a lion who live at a Sarasota County wildlife sanctuary.

Chance, a 4-year-old chimpanzee, and Handsome, a lion, play exotic pets brought into the offices of an out-of-control stockbroker in the movie. In real life, the two are among several working animals residing at the Big Cat Habitat animal sanctuary, 7101 Palmer Blvd.

Kay Rosaire, owner of the sanctuary, said her sister raised Chance from an infant and accompanied him to the movie set, where DiCaprio and Chance spent a lot of time together.

“They really liked each other. They worked well together,” Rosaire said. Chance even learned to roller skate for the part, Rosaire said, beginning on one skate before adding the second after about three weeks.

Handsome was later added to the cast because the trading company featured in the film used a lion as its symbol. The movie is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, who became a wealthy stockbroker before becoming entangled in federal investigations of crime and corruption.

Money earned from appearances by the sanctuary's lions, tigers, and birds in films and commercials goes to support the nonprofit, which also houses many non-working animals, Rosaire said. “They're professionals. They support the non-working animals.”

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has criticized the use of Chance and other great apes in such movies. The group is circulating a petition asking DiCaprio to not use them in films, claiming that the apes are often mistreated during and after their film careers.